Ballan withdrawn from racing by BMC

RobFowl

BMC pulls riders out of competition due to Mantova investigation
The BMC Racing Team has announced on Friday morning that Alessandro Ballan and Mauro Santambrogio will not be racing pending the outcome of the Mantova police investigation, an anti-doping investigation currently being held in Italy.
The team management, represented by team president Jim Ochowicz, announced in a press release that the squad decided to put both Ballan and Santambrogio on inactive status until the matter is resolved.
"It has come to our attention that two of our riders, Alessandro Ballan and Mauro Santambrogio, are the subject of an investigation by Italian authorities stemming from incidents that took place more than two years ago - when they were members of the Lampre team and not affiliated with the BMC Racing Team," the team said.
"The BMC Racing Team and its members were not aware of this investigation until a few days ago and we hope to obtain more information about the proceedings. However, we have already made the decision to withhold the two from competition, in accordance with the BMC Racing Team's own policy and the UCI's Code of Conduct (Section IX, Item 2). This should not be seen as pre-determination of guilt in connection with the Italian investigation. Both will have to personally address the accusations."
The decision means that former world champion Ballan, who was planned to race Paris-Roubaix this Sunday, will miss out on the event. A replacement rider has not yet been announced.
Cyclingnews caught up with Ballan immediately after the news broke, and found out the rider hadn't been notified yet by the team. "I don’t really want to say anything," Ballan said on the phone. "I haven't heard anything from the team since last night. I'll just respect the decision of the team because they pay my wages."
In the Mantova investigation, the Italian Tour of Flanders winner is believed to have ties to Guido Nigrelli, the pharmacist at the centre of the investigation. Nigrelli has admitted this, but consistently denies having provided anyone with performance-enhancing substances, saying all he did was "threshold tests, advice on nutrition and recovery, homeopathic stuff."
On Friday, BMC president Ochowicz also gave a statement to the Gazzetta dello Sport, saying that the team management continued its internal examination of Ballan's past, and added, "We didn't know who his coach was."


http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ballan-and-santambrogio-pulled-from-racing

crumliniano

Good to see teams being pro-active on doping. On the flip side though it's pretty harsh missing Roubaix if they turn out to be clean.

Also, am I mistaken in the perception that most of the big investigations of recent years have focussed on Italian doctors? Does that say they dope more or their authorities are more active in investigating them?

blorg

Well there is a hell of a lot of Spanish doping too whether by Spanish riders or others in Spain but the Spanish Federation doesn't seem as enthusiastic about stopping it as CONI.

Worth bearing in mind that Spain and Italy are the #1 and #2 cycling nations... tempting to wonder if the lack of top riders coming out of France is linked to their having probably the most stringent anti-doping regime in the world.

Chips Lovell

Meanwhile, it looks like the French have uncovered a doping system for masking EPO use.

RobFowl

Form my experience Irish and British doctors are not interested in facilitating doping.

On the continent this would appear to be different. I have concerns regarding the Italian, Spanish, Belgian systems and to a lesser extent the German and Austrian.
Regarding the old eastern block , pretty much anything goes....

Junior

RobFowl wrote: »

the UCI's Code of Conduct (Section IX, Item 2).

Just to quote this bit any idea what this section says ? Surely to God it should be applied to Mr A Valverde long ago ?

Junior

After some digging I found the following ..

The UCI ProTeams wish, in drawing up and signing this code of conduct, to indicate clearly their commitment in favour of strict compliance with the rules that keep sport fair. In this respect, the introduction of the UCI ProTour, with its call for excellence, offers a historic opportunity.The UCI ProTeams underline that the application of the rules of conduct below is in addition to their undertaking of to comply strictly with the rules of the UCI, including in particular the regulations concerning the health of riders (part XIII) and the UCI antidoping regulations (part XIV).

The UCI ProTeams undertake to:
IX. Without prejudice to the right to terminate the contract for serious misconduct, not to enter any licence-holder for events who is subject to judicial proceedings or investigation for facts relating to sporting activity, or any act constituting a breach of the UCI antidoping regulations, or any other intentional criminal act.

1. as from the opening of the investigation or proceedings:
· if the facts are admitted by the party in question, or
· if information from an official source available to the UCI ProTeam
shows that the facts in question cannot be seriously contested;
2. in other cases, as from the date of referral by the investigating body or,
where no such procedure applies, the date of the summons to the
accused to appear before the trial judge for sentencing.

petethedrummer

Possible list of people involved:

Giuseppe Saronni, Manager Lampre, oud-coureur
Maurizio Piovanni, directeur sportif Lampre
Fabrizio Bontempi, directeur sportif Lampre, oud-coureur bij Mapei enBrescialat
Damiano Cunego, coureur Lampre
Alessandro Ballan, coureur BMC Racing, ex-Lampre
Mirco Lorenzetto, coureur Lampre
Manuele Mori, coureur Lampre
Massimiliano Mori, coureur Lampre
Emanuele Bindi, ex-coureur Lampre
Francesco Gavazzi, coureur Lampre
Daniele Pietropolli, coureur Lampre
Mauro Santambrogio, coureur BMC Racing, ex-Lampre
Simone Ponzi, coureur Lampre
Pietro Caucchioli, ex-coureur Lampre
Mauro Da Dalto, coureur Lampre
Carlo Guardascione, arts Lampre
Andrea Andreazzoli, arts Astana, ex-Lampre
José Ibarguren, ex-arts Lampre en Saunier Duval
Fabio Telladorre, fysio Lampre
Paolo Pezzini, ex-coureur
Stefano Cavallari, ex-coureur Acqua & Sapone

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showpost.php?p=181649&postcount=4

As someone else on that forum pointed out, at least its only a few bad apples and not the systematic doping of old.

sy

blorg wrote: »

... tempting to wonder if the lack of top riders coming out of France is linked to their having probably the most stringent anti-doping regime in the world.

In a nutshell, yes (I believe so anyway)

ROK ON

I work with many Italians. To answer an earlier question, I would share something that an Italian colleague says to me.
It is his opinion that doping is rife in all italian sports even down to village level. He clams that GranFondo riders and guys running local marathons regularly dope. He puts iy down to a few things; a very strong will to win, a cultural attitude that is ambivalent and finally availability and opportunity.

sy

ROK ON wrote: »

I work with many Italians. To answer an earlier question, I would share something that an Italian colleague says gave to me.
It is his opinion that doping is rife in all italian sports even down to village level. He clams that GranFondo riders and guys running local marathons regularly dope. He puts iy down to a few things; a very strong will to win, a cultural attitude that is ambivalent and finally availability and opportunity.

FYP
Any chance you could share some! Will be watching your Pyreenean exploits with eagle eyes

TheBlaaMan

Nearly four years on, Ballan finally gets his just rewards for his carry-on with EPO and HGH during his Lampre days. Another rainbow jersey dishonoured. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ballan-handed-two-year-ban-by-coni
I wonder if this will result if the other implicated Lampre guys from that time getting likewise....

Zyzz

Once again the two year sentence is not harsh enough. Ban for life or nothing IMO.

RobFowl

Zyzz wrote: »

Once again the two year sentence is not harsh enough. Ban for life or nothing IMO.

I was really pleased to see the Doc got a life ban, would have preferred more for Ballan esp as he obstructed and denied it for so long.

quozl

RobFowl wrote: »

I was really pleased to see the Doc got a life ban, would have preferred more for Ballan esp as he obstructed and denied it for so long.

Weirdly the Doc only got a 4 year ban it was the pharmacist who got the life-time ban according to that article.
They both should have got one.

WillyFXP

ROK ON wrote: »

I work with many Italians. To answer an earlier question, I would share something that an Italian colleague says to me.
It is his opinion that doping is rife in all italian sports even down to village level. He clams that GranFondo riders and guys running local marathons regularly dope. He puts iy down to a few things; a very strong will to win, a cultural attitude that is ambivalent and finally availability and opportunity.

Did he get his Spin Doctor cert from the school of Lance?

RobFowl

quozl wrote: »

Weirdly the Doc only got a 4 year ban it was the pharmacist who got the life-time ban according to that article.
They both should have got one.

I read an incorrect tweet earlier. Seems you are right..

Kenny Pryde ‏@KenBobPryde 2h CONI hands Alessandro Ballan 2 year ban, 4 to Dr Bonazzi and life ban to pharmacist Guido Negrelli after Mantova inquiry, opened in 2010.

Zyzz

RobFowl wrote: »

I was really pleased to see the Doc got a life ban, would have preferred more for Ballan esp as he obstructed and denied it for so long.

My thought exactly. 4+ years denying it to everyone..probably longer to those that questioned his success!

Sent him a strongly worded tweet earlier, satisfying.

TheBlaaMan

I guess its career-finishing in any case for Ballan, though I wouldn't stake one cent agianst him popping up again somewhere in the sport in the future.................unfortunately.

RobFowl

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

I guess its career-finishing in any case for Ballan, though I wouldn't stake one cent agianst him popping up again somewhere in the sport in the future.................unfortunately.

From what I've heard well likes and thought to be a decent guy.
The temptation to dope thought is very strong especially when the potential rewards are so high.

el tel

I am severely disappointed that the Paris-Roubaix is not in actual fact being held this Sunday

NeedMoreGears

So he's banned for two years aged 34. That's probably a lesser punishment than being banned for two years at say 31.

I accept there needs to be time for a proper process but four years is an awful long time.

RobFowl

NeedMoreGears wrote: »

So he's banned for two years aged 34. That's probably a lesser punishment than being banned for two years at say 31.

I accept there needs to be time for a proper process but four years is an awful long time.

He obviously had good lawyers !

Expect a good few more, and some vacancies at Lampre too...